• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.229-234
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• 2014

This study manufactured a CIG-based composite coating layer utilizing a new warm spray process, and a mixed powder of Cu-20at.%Ga and Cu-20at.%In. In order to obtain the mixed powder with desired composition, the Cu-20at.%Ga and Cu-20at.%In powders were mixed with a 7:1 ratio. The mixed powder had an average particle size of $35.4{\mu}m$. Through the utilization of a warm spray process, a CIG-based composite coating layer of $180{\mu}m$ thickness could be manufactured on a pure Al matrix. To analyze the microstructure and phase, the warm sprayed coating layer underwent XRD, SEM/EDS and EMPA analyses. In addition, to improve the physical properties of the coating layer, an annealing heat treatment was conducted at temperatures of $200^{\circ}C$, $400^{\circ}C$ and $600^{\circ}C$ for 1 hour each. The microstructure analysis identified ${\alpha}$-Cu, $Cu_4In$ and $Cu_3Ga$ phases in the early mixed powder, while $Cu_4In$ disappeared, and additional $Cu_9In_4$ and $Cu_9Ga_4$ phases were identified in the warm sprayed coating layer. Porosity after annealing heat treatment reduced from 0.75% (warm sprayed coating layer) to 0.6% (after $600^{\circ}C/1hr$. heat treatment), and hardness reduced from 288 Hv to 190 Hv. No significant phase changes were found after annealing heat treatment.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.264-270
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• 2012

In this study, we mainly focus on the study of densification of gas-atomized Cu-50 wt.%In-13 wt.%Ga alloy powder without occurrence of crack during the forming process. Cu-50 wt.%In-13 wt.%Ga alloy powder was consolidated by sintering and rolling processes in order to obtain high density. The phase and microstructure of formed materials were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy (OM), respectively. Warm rolling using copper can result in the improvement of density. The specimen obtained with 80% of rolling reduction ratio at $140^{\circ}C$ using cooper can have the highest density of $8.039g/cm^3$.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.245-252
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• 2013

This study attempted to manufacture a Cu-Ga coating layer via the cold spray process and to investigate the applicability of the layer as a sputtering target material. In addition, changes made to the microstructure and properties of the layer due to annealing heat treatment were evaluated, compared, and analyzed. The results showed that coating layers with a thickness of 520 mm could be manufactured via the cold spray process under optimal conditions. With the Cu-Ga coating layer, the ${\alpha}$-Cu and $Cu_3Ga$ were found to exist inside the layer regardless of annealing heat treatment. The microstructure that was minute and inhomogeneous prior to thermal treatment changed to homogeneous and dense with a more clear division of phases. A sputtering test was actually conducted using the sputtering target Cu-Ga coating layer (~2 mm thickness) that was additionally manufactured via the cold-spray coating process. Consequently, this test result confirmed that the cold sprayed Cu-Ga coating layer may be applied as a sputtering target material.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.21-25
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• 2016

The microstructural properties and electrical characteristics of sputtering films deposited with a Cu-Ga target are analyzed. The Cu-Ga target is prepared using the cold spray process and shows generally uniform composition distributions, as suggested by secondary ion mass spectrometer (SIMS) data. Characteristics of the sputtered Cu-Ga films are investigated at three positions (top, center and bottom) of the Cu-Ga target by X-ray diffraction (XRD), SIMS, 4-point probe and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis methods. The results show that the Cu-Ga films are composed of hexagonal and unknown phases, and they have similar distributions of composition and resistivity at the top, center, and bottom regions of the Cu-Ga target. It demonstrates that these films have uniform properties regardless of the position on the Cu-Ga target. In conclusion, the cold spray process is expected to be a useful method for preparing sputter targets.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.552-561
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• 2011

This study attempted to manufacture a Cu-15 at.%Ga coating layer via the cold spray process and investigated the effect of heat treatment environment on the properties of cold sprayed coating material. Three kinds of heat treatment environments, $5%H_2$+argon, pure argon, and vacuum were used in this study. Annealing treatments were conducted at $200{\sim}800^{\circ}C$/1 hr. With the cold sprayed coating layer, pure ${\alpha}$-Cu and small amounts of $Ga_2O_3$ were detected in the XRD, EDS, EPMA analyses. Porosity significantly decreased and hardness also decreased with increasing annealing temperature. The inhomogeneous dendritic microstructure of cold sprayed coating material changed to the homogeneous and dense one (microstructural evolution) with annealing heat treatment. Oxides near the interface of particles could be reduced by heat treatment especially in vacuum and argon environments. Vacuum environment during heat treatment was suggested to be most effective one to improve the densification and purification properties of cold sprayed Cu-15 at.%Ga coating material.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.115-119
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• 2014

$Cu(In,Ga)Se_2$ (CIGS) thin films have been used as a light absorbing layer in high-efficiency solar cells. In order to improve the quality of the CIGS thin film, often selenization step is applied. Especially when the thin film was formed by non-vacuum powder process, selenization can help to induce grain growth of powder and densification of the thin film. However, selenization is not trivial. It requires either the use of toxic gas, $H_2Se$, or expensive equipment which raises the overall manufacturing cost. Herein, we would like to deliver a new, simple method for selenization. In this method, instead of using a costly two-zone furnace, use of a regular tube furnace is required and selenium is supplied by a mixture of selenium and ceramic powder such as alumina. By adjusting the ratio of selenium vs. alumina powder, selenium vaporization can be carefully controlled. Under the optimized condition, steady supply of selenium vapor was possible which was evidently shown by large grain growth of CIGS within a thin powder layer.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.08a
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• pp.295-295
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• 2010

Nanoparticles of the compound semiconductor, Cu(In, Ga)Se2 (CIGS), were synthesized in solution under ambient pressure below $100^{\circ}C$ and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical absorption spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyses. These materials have chalcopyrite crystal structures and the particle sizes less than 100 nm. Synthetic conditions were studied for the crystallized CIGS nanoparticles formation to prevent from side products of Cu2Se, Cu2-xSe, and CuSe etc. The single phase CIGS nanoparticles were applied to coating of thin films photovoltaic cells. The electro deposition of CIGS thin films is also a good non-vacuum technology and under investigation. In aqueous solutions, the different chemical compositions of CIGS thin films were obtained, depending on pH, concentration of starting materials and deposition potentials. The surface morphology of the prepared CIGS thin films depends on the complexing ligands to the solutions during the electrochemical deposition.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.44-49
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• 1992

Magnetic properties and microstructures of $Nd_{12}Fe_{80}B_{6}(Nb,\;M)$ (M=Ti/Cu/Ga) melt-spun ribbons prepared by single wheel technique have been studied. The results of microstructural study have shown that Ga is effective for the orientation of c-axis normal to the ribbon plane. The Ga-added melt-spun ribbon, $Nd_{12}Fe_{80}B_{6}(Nb,\;Ga)$, quenched at $V_{s}=17.9\;m/s$ was mostly composed of fine grains of about 30 nm in size with the textured free-side surface. The powder of this ribbon aligned in mag-netic field showd a high remanence of 0.87 T which was about 5 % higher than that of ribbon itself. It is believed that there is a possibility to fabricate a new type of HIREM melt-spun ribbon with highly textured free-side surface.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2012.05a
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• pp.92-92
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• 2012

Chalcopyrite-type Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) is one of the most attractive compound semiconductor materials for thin film solar cells. Among various approaches to prepare the CIGS thin film, the powder process offers an extremely simple and materials-efficient method. Here, we present the mechano-chemical synthesis of CIGS compound powders and their use as an ink material for screen-printing. During the synthesis process, milling time and speed were varied in the range of 10~600 min and 100~300 rpm, respectively. Both phase evolution and powder characteristics were carefully monitored by X-ray diffraction (XRD) method, scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation, and particle size analysis by scanning mobility particle spectrometer (SMPS) and aerodynamic particle sizer (APS). We found the optimal milling condition as 200 rpm for 120 min but also found that a monolithic phase of CIGS powders without severe particle aggregation was difficult to be obtained by the mechano-chemical milling alone. Therefore, the optimized milling condition was combined with an adequate heat-treatment (300oC for 60 min) to provide the monolithic CIGS powder of a single phase with affordable particle characteristics for the preparation of CIGS thin film. The powder was used to prepare an ink for screen printing with which dense CIGS thin films were fabricated under the controlled selenization. The morphology and electrical properties of the thin films were analyzed by SEM images and hall measurement, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2010

CuInGaSe(CIGS) mixed-source was prepared by hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE). Each metal was mixed in regular ratio and soaked at $1090^{\circ}C$ for 90 minutes in nitrogen atmosphere. After making the mixed-source to powder state, the pellet was made by the powder. The diameter of pellet is 10 mm. The CIGS thin film was deposited on soda lime glass evaporated Mo layer bye-beam evaporator. To confirm the crystallization, we measured X-ray diffraction (XRD). High intensity X-ray peaks diffracted from (112), (204)/(220), (116)/(312) and (400) of CIGS thin film and from (110) of Mo were confirmed by XRD measurement.